Part 7/12:
The Neuroscience of Addiction and Market Manipulation
Gambling addiction is driven by the brain’s risk-reward circuitry, which remains underdeveloped until early adulthood. Young men, with their potentially vulnerable brains, are particularly susceptible to the relentless barrage of marketing and the thrill of near-instant gratification. Specialists like Harry Levant, a gambling addiction therapist, describe a frightening phenomenon: patients gambling compulsively—sometimes even in the shower or while driving.